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Winston Peters Rejects Kiribati's Excuse As Hipkins Urges Constructive Diplomacy
Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific Journalist
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has hit back at comments by the Kiribati education minister that the nation's leader, Taneti Maamau, had a pre-planned commitment, which resulted in him snubbing the New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister.
Peters revealed that the government is reviewing its development aid programme - worth more than NZ$100 million between 2021-2024 - in the Micronesian island nation after Maamau's administration cancelled or postponed three visits to Tarawa in recent months.
Kiribati Education Minister Alexander Teabo told RNZ that Maamau had a significant historical event on his home island, Onotoa, which he had to attend. He said the visit was cancelled by New Zealand and Maamau is being blamed for it.
But Peters said on Tuesday that does not buy Teabo's excuse.
"It was the President [Maamau] who set the date... 21, 22 of January. Now if he set the date then how can the pre-book statement be correct?" Peters said.
Maamau is on a four-day state visit to Fiji this week, and his office has not made any comment on the matter.
Pacific political watchers say that such a "knee-jerk reaction" to foreign policy by Peters is a "geopolitically stupid move".
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has also weighed in on the issue, suggesting that the government take a more constructive approach in its diplomacy with Kiribati.
He said New Zealand engaging in a tit-for-tat is not going to solve the problem.
While Greens MP Ricardo Menéndez March said New Zealand's relationship with Kiribati must be built on mutual respect.
Menéndez March said the developments are a real shame.
Australian National University's Development Policy Centre fellow Terence Wood told RNZ that it is a "terrible decision" by Peters to withdraw all New Zealand aid from Kiribati.
"So either Winston Peters is throwing his toys out of the cot, or this is a bluff. My guess is that it's a bluff," Wood said.
"Peters isn't stupid, and if he's really worried about Chinese influence in Kiribati, the last thing you'd want to do is withdraw all of our aid because that's the only way we'll have any influence ourselves in Kiribati."
Wood said relations between New Zealand and Kiribati - and other Pacific Island countries broadly - are amicable and the "this current diplomatic incident something of a surprise".
While one regional commentator believes that the diplomatic tiff will push Kiribati further toward China, Wood said whether Beijing is the "actual source of the current sort of tension" is not clear.
"It may just be Kiribati trying to exert or demonstrate its own independence from Western donors," he added.
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